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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05.23.25 Newsletter : TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Rebecca Grill, City Manager DATE: May 23, 2025 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. YOUR INPUT IS NEEDED TO GUIDE OUR SUSTAINABILITY PLAN! The Planning Division is hosting a series of engagement sessions to gather public input to help guide an update to Oshkosh’s Sustainability Plan. These engagement sessions will be held at the Senior Center South Building in the Willow Room on Thursday, May 29th. There will be three sessions available: • 12:30-2:00pm • 2:30-4:00pm • 5:30-7:00pm The project team from the city and the consultant (GRAEF) will be in person at each session to provide project background for attendees. In addition, you will have the opportunity to see draft plan goals and provide your input. Your input will help us steer the planning effort. After the open house, the project team will review all information gathered from each session and apply it to the draft plan where needed. Stay tuned for plan approval at the end of this year. If interested, the current Sustainability Plan can be viewed on our Sustainable Oshkosh page. For more information, please contact Emma Dziengeleski at 920-236-5126 or edziengeleski@oshkoshwi.gov. 2. SIGN UP FOR FUN! It’s that time of year again: the Oshkosh Parks are seeking individuals to volunteer for our summer events and we have the coolest hangouts! Join us at the Menominee Park Zoo, Pollock Community Water Park, Leach Amphitheater, and more, for some fun in the sun! Enjoy leading a game or activity with kids and their families, greet movie goers before a show, or catch a free concert while serving drinks. If you enjoy the outdoors and are looking for ways to volunteer, look no further because we’ve got something for everyone! Sign up online today or contact Kathy Snell, Special Events Coordinator, at 920-236-5080. 3. EVENTS ARE IN FULL SWING! May is providing a busy start to event season with some fun and exciting events right here in your own backyard! Upcoming events include several Memorial Day activities. The Hmong National Memorial Day Festival is being hosted once again at Sunnyview Expo Center on Saturday, May 24th and Sunday, May 25th. Monday, May 26th will honor the men and women who have served our country beginning with a Reading of the Names Ceremony at South Park, a wreath laying at Riverside Park and the Memorial Day Procession traveling along Algoma Blvd., ending in a service at Riverside Park Cemetery. Whether you enjoy fishing, craft and food vendors, festivals, or run/walk/rides, we have all kinds of events in store for you. For an ongoing list of events and activities here in Oshkosh, check out the Discover Oshkosh webpage or contact Kathy Snell, Special Events Coordinator, at 920-236-5080. 4. THE LAKE FLIES ARE HERE, BUT SO IS SPRING: Despite the lake flies, we are excited that the weather is warming up and daylight hours are extending! The start of this new season allows the community more opportunities to enjoy our parks, services and events here in Oshkosh. Some highlights to look for: • Path improvements at the Menominee Park Zoo: We are thankful for the collaboration of city services to showcase the zoo path improvements when the facility opens for the season. Come down to see our collection, programs and explore the complete zoo on paved surfaces. • Playground reconstruction projects have begun. This includes the playgrounds at both Stevens Park and Rainbow Memorial Park. Both are scheduled for completion prior to school ending for summer. • All of the Menominee Park facilities open for the season on May 24 and programming across all of our parks will begin in June. Check our program guide online or pick one up at the Parks Department Administrative Office for a complete list of all events and activities. There will be more highlights to come as the season progresses. If you have questions, please contact Chad Dallman, Assistant Parks Director, at (920)236-5080. We look forward to seeing everyone enjoying the outdoors! 5. SENIORS CENTER UPDATES: The Oshkosh Seniors Center is participating in National Senior Health and Fitness Day on Wednesday May 28th. The featured program of the day: “Eat & Greet,” will focus on healthy eating. The Seniors Center is also urging participants to engage in increased physical activity to help their overall well-being, whether they choose to walk, bike, lift weights, or take a group exercise class. The North Building of the Seniors Center will host a choir concert on Sunday, June 8th where the Golden Tones will perform at 2pm. Tickets for their performance are available at either Seniors Center location until June 5th. The Seniors Center is also starting a “Check-In Challenge” during the months of June and July. The goal of this challenge is to encourage participants to explore new areas and programs that the Seniors Center has to offer. The five general areas of focus are: fitness, wellness, enrichment, social/educational, and technology/support services. Participants who join and complete the challenge will be eligible to win a prize. If you have any questions about Seniors Center programs, please contact Dan Braun, Seniors Center Manager, at 920-232-5300. Seniors Center program details and registration information may be found on the Oshkosh Seniors Center webpage. 6. SPRING BEAUTIFICATION ACTIVITIES: A lot has happened in Downtown Oshkosh during the month of May. Thanks to partnerships between Discover Oshkosh, the Downtown Business Improvement District, Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, volunteers and the City of Oshkosh, the following were made possible: • 1,100 tulip bulbs planted by volunteers in Opera House Square have bloomed, providing an early splash of color • 66 American flags were raised and will be flown until Labor Day • Over 100 planters of various sizes have been planted with an array of colorful flowers and vibrant plants In addition to the downtown beautification efforts, memorial trees have been planted throughout the City’s park system for nearly 25 years. This spring, the Parks Department planted 25 trees in memory of peoples loved ones. A tree is a great way to honor someone and keep the memories alive. As a reminder to those that have memorial trees already planted, please keep decorations off of the trees and mulched area around the tree. Memorial tree program pamphlet and application are available for download on the Parks Department page. If you have any questions about this, please contact Travis Derks, Landscape Operations Manager, at 920-236-5080. 7. GET INVOLVED IN A BOARD OR COMMISSION: If you are interested in serving your community, please consider becoming a member of one of the City’s citizen advisory boards, commissions, or committees. There are current openings on the following boards and commissions: BID Board Board of Review Board of Zoning Appeals Landmarks Commission Long Range Finance Committee Plan Commission Sustainability Advisory Board To learn more about the boards and commissions, or to complete an application to serve, visit our boards and commissions webpage. If you have questions about current openings, please contact the City Manager’s Executive Assistant, Kami Zuercher, by email (kzuercher@oshkoshwi.gov) or call 920-236-5002.